Connecticut Made
Black garlic is a traditional savory Asian ingredient that is rapidly gaining popularity in the West—and for good reason. Its remarkable combination of sweet, savory, and umami flavors, together with its pleasantly chewy texture, makes it unlike ordinary garlic and surprisingly addictive. Black garlic is also valued for its naturally occurring antioxidant compounds, adding to its appeal as a flavorful addition to a varied diet.
Black garlic is often described as “fermented” garlic, but that isn't quite correct. It is produced by aging fresh garlic under carefully controlled heat for an extended period. During this time, Maillard chemistry transforms the cloves, turning them progressively darker while developing their characteristic sweetness, aroma, and complex flavor.
Since chemistry is one of our specialties, we take this process seriously. Careful control of temperature and aging time is critical: stop too soon and the cloves retain some of their sharp raw-garlic character; continue too long and the flavor and texture begin to deteriorate. We've refined our process to produce black garlic with the flavor and consistency we're looking for.
During aging, the sharp taste and pungent aroma of fresh garlic disappear, replaced by a mellow combination of sweetness, umami, and subtle caramel-like flavors. The texture is reminiscent of soft dried fruit.
Try black garlic sliced or mashed onto buttered bread, stirred into pasta or soups, added to pizza, rice, or eggs, or incorporated into sauces and dressings. You may even find yourself eating whole cloves straight from the package. Unlike fresh garlic, black garlic doesn't leave you with the characteristic pungent garlic breath. Around Turkeywoods Farm, we sometimes call it “adult candy.”
Our black garlic tends toward a semi-firm texture, determined by the moisture content following the long aging process. The cloves are soft enough to slice, mash, and spread easily, yet firm enough to retain a satisfyingly chewy, dried-fruit-like texture. We find this balance ideal—equally suited to eating whole, slicing onto a dish, or blending into sauces and spreads.
For best quality, keep black garlic tightly sealed in a cool, dry place and protect it from excess moisture. Follow the storage instructions provided with the package.